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⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) I'm not able to judge musicals objectively, and even less so this one because I already knew all of the lyrics to almost all of the songs. So unsurprisingly, I liked it! I'm also a big Ben Platt fan and he can do no wrong, except for the fact he just looks too old for this role! I know it wasn't his choice and it was the director who insisted he do it because he originated the role on Broadway and he's amazing, but he does not belong in a high school. Miscasting aside, he was so good and did a great job adapting his performance to the screen. The only problem is, he's such a great singer that he totally outshone all of the other actors who did their best, but could not compete with a Broadway singer. I also couldn't help but compare these actors trying to sing to the original Broadway cast. Anyway! The story is still emotional and compelling, and I was fine with the changes they made to the story. Bring tissues if you...

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) This is a documentary following the brawl that took place between the Detroit Pistons and the Indiana Pacers in 2004, which spilled off the court and involved the fans as well. Most of my enjoyment here was seeing all the characters in the NBA at that time, since that was the first year I started watching basketball. It had a lot of good footage, tried to make you empathize with both sides, pretty basic documentary stuff. I did like that it spent time on how crappy the fans were. I have always been on the side that the fans are to blame for this, and the things that followed like the dress code are pretty dumb. Don't get me wrong, the players have to take a lot of the blame, and I didn't think their punishments were too harsh (as the doc kind of implies), but the acts of the fans is pretty disgusting. The doc kind of ends by saying how the Pacers would have won the championship if the brawl had never happened, which annoyed me. They cru...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) Another solid entry, I like how high the stakes are getting, and as a movie it is a lot more coherent than earlier entries. I don't really love any of the characters, but the ending is pretty moving and I love how hopeless it feels going into the finale. I do have some complaints though. I understand that the movies get darker as they go, both in content and visually, but honestly who decided to completely wash this movie out? Some of the scenes look almost black and white, it's like they slapped on an instagram filter to dull it. It's not that I need vibrancy, I just need some colour depth, everything looks so bland. I love Voldemort as a villain, and I wish we could have seen more from him here. We have already seen him, so this isn't like Jaws anymore. Just show us the scary bad guy. Finally, this movie is called the half blood prince, and the reveal of who that is falls completely flat. I am not well-acquainted with the books, bu...

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) I tried to limit this series to just one ten but this movie is incredible! It really is right up there with the second. At this point there isn't much to say. It's got nearly the same story beats as the others, just a new host of bad guys. It has another cool chase scene, and after watching all 3, I can confirm has the best fight scene. Aside from Jackie Chan, I'm honestly not sure if there is a better fight scene out there. The music turns off and it's just limbs going crazy. Incredible. Another helping of CLASSIC lines in this one, starting of course with the all-time moment "Jesus Christ, it's Jason Bourne" (the whole Waterloo Station scene is top notch), and then the great "if you were in your office, we'd be having this conversation face to face." It also ends with the touching "look at what they make us give," stuff, which goes back to the first movie. I'm really happy we decided ra...

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) This book was so different from Frankel's last book in subject, but as soon as I started I knew I was in good hands. This book is told by triplet sisters who live in Bourne, a town that was destroyed by a chemical plant almost two decades ago, leaving a lot of the residents dead, cancerous, or born with birth defects. But the company responsible for it has never been convicted, and now they're back. Of the triplets, Maribel is in a wheelchair and needs an AAC device to speak, Monday is neurodivergent, and Mab is the "normal" one, carrying the burden of being the one expected to get out of Bourne. The three narrators are all distinct and wonderful, and I felt that her portrayal of them was really well done. This book takes on corruption, bureaucracy, ableism, accessibility, and more. Frankel is a wonderful writer, and although I wasn't particularly interested in the premise at first, I was sucked in right away. The book al...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) This is my favourite horror novel I've read so far this spooky season. Kara is recently divorced and directionless, but her uncle invites her to help him at his weird museum full of Ripley's-like hoaxes and taxidermy. Then a hole appears in a wall that leads to a river full of tiny islands with their own doors, and as she and her neighbour get lost exploring this new world, they realize that there might be something sinister out there. This book is Weird, mixing portal fiction with horror, and the fact that we have no idea what this monster is or what is going on makes it extra sinister and creepy. A little bit Narnia, a little bit Wrinkle in Time, and a little bit Stranger Things, plus taxidermy.

⭐ 6.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) Does anyone really care about my review of Pitch Perfect in 2021? No, but I guess I'll just say that indeed I watched it again, and it's still funny at times (all the aka-jokes are still great) and really unfunny at others. I also think it's at this unfortunate stage where in ten years, these songs will be classic early 2010s hits, but for now are all lame early 2010s songs. Still, they sound great!

⭐ 7.0/10 (Originally written by Will) Nothing but the finest art in this house lately! We were looking for an adventure movie we could watch with the kids and saw this was somehow rated decently so gave it a shot. This was basically a National Treasure or Indiana Jones type of adventure, but mixed with Dora the Explorer - and somehow it worked! It was super cheesy of course, but also fun, and even funny at times. I also got Jumanji vibes throughout, though it's definitely not that good. If what you're looking for is a family friendly adventure film, this is worth a look.

⭐ 6.5/10 (Originally written by Benjamin) This was ooh-kay i guess. London, England 'above', AND 'below' 😮.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) Recently I have no interests and all I care about is rereading all the Murderbot books for the third time, but I ran out of those just in time for Maggie to snag the new TJ Klune book, which was just what I needed. This book absolutely gutted me. It follows a man who died suddenly and is brought to a "way station" before he moves on to whatever comes after death. So a lot of this book is about the grieving process (including grieving your own death) and saying goodbye to people and moving on, which was very emotional. And it's about discovering that there could have been more to your life all along. It was a bit slow to get going, but I ended up finishing it in under 24 hours. I cried a lot, but in a good way. And it made me think a lot about embracing life as well as death. Really lovely, with wonderful characters and some good laughs. And it's always so nice to see characters falling in love who aren't super young or conv...

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) Georgia is embarrassed at never having kissed anyone at 18, and is determined that her first year in university is when it'll happen - she'll finally find someone she likes enough that she'll have a crush. With the help of her very outgoing roommate she meets new people, but she soon realizes she's never had romantic feelings for someone, and actually kissing someone grosses her out. Georgia continues exploring her sexuality and figuring out what life will look like if she remains loveless. I've personally read a few books with asexual characters and am interested in the topic, but it's still believable that a teen wouldn't know enough to recognize it in herself. Especially because Georgia loves romance and the idea of falling in love, and doesn't want to admit that maybe she can't. Because our culture is so steeped in romance and sex, it can be hard to understand that some people just don't feel it. Ge...

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) I have low standards for musicals - if there's a big dance number involved, I'm going to like it. I've only every listened to the Broadway soundtrack and I was disappointed by a few changes and casting choices they decided to make, but overall it seemed like a good adaptation. It was colourful and fun, and centers Latinx culture in an important way. There were several numbers I enjoyed, especially when they dance on the side of buildings.

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) Well I guess this is happening! Once you get a taste of Jason you always end up ordering the full entree. This series is just so good! I think this is my favorite of the trilogy. It opens up with a very cool but very confusing sequence that basically leaves you a knot of mystery that slowly gets unwound throughout the movie. It's very hard to follow, and I just KNOW that there must be some plot holes if you look close enough. But the movie makes you feel pretty smart, kinda explaining what's going on even if you don't actually really understand what's happening, what the motivations are, and who's on whose side. Even though I've watched this movie a number of times, the big reveal was still so cool. One thing I failed to mention in the first review is that the tour of Europe is a real highlight. I love all the different settings, languages, and especially that sexy Italian agent. It's a huge plus just shifting things ...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) This was a random choice for movie night, but I really liked it! It's an indie film about Mads Mikkelsen being stranded in the Arctic and trying to get himself and an unconscious woman rescued. It's a very quiet movie, almost no dialogue (since he's either alone or with someone who can't communicate with him) and honestly it's just one bad thing after another, and it made me dread winter with a fresh fervour. But I love survival stories and I especially love the idea that humans will choose to save each other every time. It's about human connection, even without communication! It's about the capacity to survive and also to risk everything to help others! I don't know, it made me feel a bit better about people.

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) I think I'm just taking a half point off because I've given too many movies tens lately. This movie is the perfect action movie. I loved it when it came out and little has changed. It's got some of the best fight scenes, perhaps my favorite car chase scene, and just has this great sense of mystery and intrigue throughout. The secret agent government organization is a liiiittle cheesy here and there ("I want to know everything! Every bed she slept on, every purchase she made!"), but honestly not too bad. Matt Damon is perfect here. The understated, quiet protagonist who finds himself a monster as he kills a man with his bare hands. Nothing is cooler than the way the government agents talk about him, and that's always my favorite way to build a badass character (*the lights go out* "it's him, isn't it?"). I have no idea if this is how amnesia works, but somehow you just don't care. I love when an acti...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) A western from 1964, I was listening to some stuff about Clint Eastwood and figured I should watch The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, and decided to watch this because apparently it's the first of the Man With No Name trilogy. And it was great! A gunslinger shows up in town and plays 2 rival factions off each other, all to make a buck. I'll start with the bad. I found the middle section of this movie pretty boring, and it kept losing my attention. So many characters with unclear names that all kind of look the same, it was tough to keep things straight. The opening, however, hooked me right away, and I was very intrigued by the character. Clint is incredibly handsome, and he plays the stoic Western hero perfectly. I mean, look at this guy. And the ending was incredibly exciting, with effective action given how old this movie was. This movie is by Sergio Leone, with music by Ennio Morricone, and those are iconic names for a reason. Although it ...

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) It was time to move on from past hurts. The Plumber and I are coming to terms. This game is good and I can't deny it, and thus I will use this review to proclaim that Mario does indeed have one good game. It was interesting timing because I was playing two other 3D platformers at the same time as this one (reviews should come soon!). They are all great, but all so different. This one was certainly the most creative and tightest platformer, and when that is the genre title, obviously you have done something good. This game is amazing at introducing new mechanics and then utilizing them in different ways. Each stage is completely unique, rarely feeling like they were recycling old ideas or staying with the same mechanic for too long. The controls, passed down for 2 decades, are nearly flawless at this point, though with a massive overlook being the dive/pound button being the same. You have lots of unused bottons! These actions are important! T...

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) Zelda has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and is living with her brother after both of their parents die and they escape from an abusive uncle. Zelda is also obsessed with Vikings, and decides she needs to become a legendary Viking herself. Life gets complicated when her beloved brother starts doing things an honourable Viking shouldn't. It's always a gamble when a neurotypical person writes in the first-person as someone with a developmental disability. I thought this was done well, but I don't really have anything to back that up. I thought Zelda was a great protagonist - brave, loving, and funny. The people in her tribe are all good people in tough situations making some bad decisions. There are tough things that happen (gun violence, rape attempt...), and some scenes are really heavy. This book made me cry actual tears, and that does not happen often or easily, but more because of strong emotion than sadness. Sibling relationships alway...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) I had seen this once before, but we went because it was playing a local theatre, and getting to watch a classic with a big audience is fun. And this is without a doubt a classic. I won't say I laughed incredibly hard, but there were a lot of chuckles. The setup of the movie, a grandfather telling his son a bedtime story, is perfect for this. It allows the story to be cliche and cheesy without taking away from the movie. Buttercup is a terrible character, and has no agency whatsoever. It's a shame considering how great Robin Wright is, and I just wish she would have shown any sort of backbone instead of being a damsel in distress. My favourite scene is the game of wits with the cups of wine, or when Buttercup falls down the hill Hot Rod style. Seeing this made me wonder when the last time a classic comedy was released. I think the concept here makes the movie more timeless when compared to the modern comedies that star a screw-up trying to ge...

⭐ 5.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) The glaring hole in my HSMEU (High School Musical Extended Universe) watch list, we heard a song from this in the car, Jess sang along, and we went home and watched it. While I think these movies are garbage, I am pretty fascinated in the stranglehold these movies had for a couple years, and the lives of its stars afterwards. This is clearly a Disney channel movie, so the acting is bad, it looks pretty low budget, but boy does it have some catchy songs. I won't get in to the plot, since its ridiculous and the characters are all pretty dumb and overly emotional. Zac is not good at basketball, and it's laughable that college athletes would want him to come to their pickup games. Vanessa has a grating voice and a flimsy personality. What I will say is that Ashley Tisdale as Sharpay really steals the show. Everyone sucks at acting here, except her, and for an over the top character that could easily get annoying or forced, I thought she did a...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) Whew boy, hard to put a number on this one. I initially thought this was something like Close Encounters or even Star Trek - an older sci-fi movie with charm and humor. But this is not that at all. This movie, whether you enjoy it or not, is a dedicated work of art. It's definitely unique stylistically, but straightforward enough for the first 2 hours. The finale, however, is a thirty minute acid trip, abstract and unclear. It reminded me of classics like Apocalypse Now, or even more recent movies like Annihilation or Ad Astra. You rate the movie one way but a lot of how you feel about the movie depends on how you like abstract endings. Anyways, this movie is super cool. It's a 60s look at what 2001 will be like, and honestly not far off though they were definitely optimistic about space travel. It looks absolutely incredible for a movie this old, holding up with basically anything from today. I have no idea how they did it, but I imagine...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by kaelwilton) I went in expecting another copy and paste Goodfellas (which is what Casino was), but this movie definitely had its own thing going on. While Goodfellas and Casino focused more on style and glamour, this movie was more contemplative and bleak. Scorsese really knocked it out of the park with this one. I must admit I have been turned off by the incredibly long runtime, but I’ve been in isolation for a couple days now so I figured this would be the perfect time to watch it haha. Don’t let the long runtime deter you from watching this one, it’s definitely worth it!

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by kaelwilton) Yeah I didn’t understand this movie. I understand that it was well written, well directed, and well acted, but i really didn’t understand this movie. I don’t even really know what to say about this one honestly. I just don’t really know what it is that I watched. I think I enjoyed it.

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) I love a good creative story idea, and really loved the thought behind this one. This is the movie where everyone forgets the Beatles existed except one guy. I don't really think things would have played out like this movie suggests, or not that quickly anyways. I also know essentially zero songs by the Beatles so I really can't appreciate half of what was going on here. But going from nobody to Ed Sheeran's opening act overnight feels like a stretch. I know I wasn't moved by the songs!! I honestly feel like it would have been a more interesting commentary on music if nobody would have ever noticed this guy. But anyways, it's still a fun movie. It's not a masterpiece, and also suffered a bit from having a lot of non-actors playing pretty big roles. But it's a cool idea and didn't feature one superhero. Can't wait for the sequel where we find out WHO did this and WHY??

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by hoodie_logi) Another great instalment from Marvel in their phase 4 lineup, this one was probably my favourite movie they've put out since Infinity War. The fight scenes in the first half were so refreshingly grounded and the kung fu action was so welcome in the MCU. The final fight scene definitely lagged off in interest compared to the action scenes earlier in the movie, but still offered a classic marvel finale. To me, I think that's a good thing but I know not everyone here would agree with that haha. The highlight of this movie though was obviously Tony Leung, who is easily up towards the top of my favourite stand alone Marvel villains so far. I thought the family connections were handled extremely well, and the trauma that Wenwu put his kids through explored well throughout the movie. A villain driven and blinded by grief will always be compelling, and Leung delivered a masterful performance. Same with Black Panther, this was another story t...

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) WOW. What an incredible game, and ending (for now...?) for the trilogy. This game really built on the last two, and I was absolutely invested right from the start. This game revolves around rallying all the races in the galaxy for a final effort against the Reapers (the ancient synthetic race trying to obliterate organic life) and even the political stuff was gripping. I loved the way it brought back characters from both games, built on relationships, and built on choices you made previously. I loved the moral issues it forced you to think about and all the ways you had to choose sides. The battles felt really intense even when they weren't necessarily difficult (on easy mode, naturally) and everything felt very high-stakes. I even cried! Some of the dialogue hit really hard. I'm really impressed. Overall, this was my first ever big game series experience, and I think it was a perfect fit for me. I don't think I have a single major ...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Will) This started as a classic kung-fu movie and then turned into a full blown eastern high fantasy, and I happen to love both of those things. Definitely upper half of Marvel movies I've seen, and it's mostly fun. Extra points for (minor spoiler) dragons!

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Will) This is essentially a documentary that follows the 2018 Formula 1 race season (to be clear, not nascar - in case you know as little about racing as I did two weeks ago). I watched the first episode of this on a whim with Thomas because he loves cars, and almost immediately found myself hooked. I can love almost any good sports documentary to be fair, but this was really well done and got me hooked on a sport I knew nothing about. Season 1 follows the 2018 season, but it focuses on the human storylines: which young drivers are trying to break out, how some teams scrape by with way less money, rivalries between drivers on the same team, etc. It's a great mix of short race clips, behind the scenes footage, and interviews with drivers, team managers, etc. I'll be watching season two!

⭐ 9.5/10 (Originally written by Rebecca) I absolutely love this movie. I've seen it a couple times before, but it's been quite a few years now, and it's just as charming every time. It's about an artistic, imaginative young boy in a very religious family who is introduced to movies through a friend he makes at school, and the two of them making a film together (called Son of Rambow, including the misspelling). It sounds pretty basic as a plot, but the two boys (one of which is my friend Will Poulter!) are SO good and so charming, and I love all the little themes in it, about religious upbringing/trauma, family, and friendship. The ending gets me every single time, and of course I relate to the main character a lot, when I was that age. Such an unassuming movie, but I'm always surprised by how much I love it.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Tim) This movie stars Nicolas Cage as an old hermit living in the woods with his truffle pig, which helps him find truffles in the forest, which he sells to maintain his reclusive life. One day someone steals his pig, and he goes out for vengeance. It's a silly premise, but this movie is serious and grim. It sets a ridiculous stage, but it takes it seriously, and you are instantly drawn in. It doles out information perfectly, as his hunt for his pig leads him to many weird encounters throughout Portland. You learn more and more about him and what drove him to his current situation, and it inspires a lot of sympathy. This movie is about grief and how loss changes someone. It isn't Liam Neeson or John Wick out for revenge. It is slow and methodical, occasionally violent but not in a glamorous way. I left the theatre with a tear in my eye, feeling grief for something I have never experienced. Really enjoyed this one.

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) I love this movie. Seen it a handful of time, but this was my first time since reading the book, and it is as incredible as I remember. It does such an amazing job of building tension, that even after seeing it so many times you are on the edge of your seat. Javier Bardem is at Joker level here as a bad guy. You have no idea what drives him, and he is terrifying every time he is on the screen. The Coen's always have such great accents in their movies, makes all their dialogue unforgettable. They also select perfect small actors for all the supporting characters. Every person you meet along the way is distinct and perfect for the small role they play. For a pretty straight forward movie that takes place in wide open landscapes there is so much detail in every choice that makes this movie stand out. I also love how unconventional this is. Kind of a western, kind of a cat and mouse spy thriller, the story unwinds perfectly and shifts persp...

⭐ 6.5/10 (Originally written by Tim) I had been wanting to watch this for a while, and was a bit let down when I finally saw it. It's a documentary about a guy who befriends an octopus, and visits it underwater every day, in a cathartic and moving experience for him. I wanted to see this movie because I thought it would provide some insight into my own life, the power that connection with nature can have. What I left feeling is that this guy is super weird, and I couldn't really abstract out his learnings in to my own life. This doc is amazing to look at, and I was wondering the whole time how he filmed all this stuff. You get an incredible look at the life of an octopus, and the connection they forge is pretty fascinating. But the whole time I was wondering how this would translate back to his real life. He has a son, and they touch on him a bit, but I want to know how his wife feels about him falling in love with this octopus. He says some generic things about what this...

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Tim) Been a couple weeks since I saw this and I am still not sure what I think. It is for sure a good movie. It looks beautiful, it sounds beautiful, and Dev Patel is beautiful. What it isn't is conventional, and it is hard to put yourself in a frame of mind where a movie like this has any tangible takeaways. I liked that it didn't make him out to be a typical hero like these knight tales often are. He has flaws, is as confused as us, doesn't really know what he wants. I keep trying to figure out what each hurdle he faces along the way represents, and I think in a worse movie that part would be very clear. I did love the finale and the life that we see, and thought that that spoke more clearly as to what was driving the character. It was a moving final scene, and then an abrupt ending that forces you to sit with what you just saw and try to untangle it. Dev Patel is awesome. Let's get this guy in more great movies.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) Carrie is a historical novelist who's doing research in Scotland when she becomes drawn to a specific castle. She decides to stay in the area to write her book, but as she works on it she finds that everything she's writing really happened in the past to her ancestor during the Jacobite uprising. Just like all of Kearsley's books, there's a double plot as we find out what happened to Sophia in the past, and how Carrie deals with the revelations in the present. This book has a fantastic sense of place in both timelines, and it felt just like I was in an old castle on the coast of Scotland in the winter. I can't even imagine how much research the author must have done, because in the past timeline, most of the characters were real people, so I learned a ton about Scottish history. There's also a solid dash of romance in both timelines, and that bit of magical realism. It's a pretty long book, and it takes its time un...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) I liked this season just as much as the first. I remembered even less of this book than I did the first, so it all felt new and exciting. This season brings in a few great new characters and a new world that was so gorgeous I tried to find out where it was filmed. Turns out they had to build the set, which is disappointing because I wanted to go there, but also, VERY IMPRESSIVE. Will was introduced in the first season already but was in this one much more, and I think the actor is so great. Whoever cast these two main kids made an excellent choice.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) Klara is an AF (artificial friend) bought by a sickly girl named Josie. Klara is curious and observant, and learns more about this mysterious world as she spends more time with Josie's family. Her main goal is to find a way to help Josie get well again, and she thinks she can get the sun to help her. I've read a few Ishiguro books, and he has such wide range, so I never know what to expect. This was definitely one of his more accessible books, and reminded me most of Never Let Me Go. The concept is super interesting, and we learn about Klara's near-future world while she does, and it's fascinating to see the world through her eyes. It's told in an unemotional and, well, robotic tone, which contrasts with the high emotions of the household, and I thought that was really well done. I generally enjoyed it, but there were a few plot holes and things that didn't match up for me, which disappointed me when this is coming from...

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Beans) This album is a ride. I think it’s her best yet. Her lyricism is great, and the sounds are all very large and sound like they were made for a movie; it has a strong soundtrack sound. She just gave birth to her child, so this album is about loving her kid, but also the fear and judgment that comes with it. There are a few songs that feel out of place, and unfortunately a few skips as well, but those are rare. Probably only 2 skips for me, the rest are all so good. I think Lilith, 1121, and Ya’aburnee are my favourites

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by Beans) I really liked this! It was engaging, funny, a bit different than the typical copy paste formula, and all around just really enjoyed myself for the full 2 hours. I did think there were a few instances where the writing wasn’t great, and I wish we would’ve had a more in depth look into what the rings actually did, but these complaints are pretty minor. I did think the dad, Tony Leung, was quite captivating and stole the show when he was on screen. Sometimes the greatest villains do be your family! The fighting was great, cool mix of mythical creatures, and had some honest laugh out loud moments. I’m excited for more of Shang Chi in the MCU.

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Magdalene) Superhero movies aren't my thing, and the only ones I make an effort to watch are ones starring Tom Holland, Taika Waititi, and people of colour. And this movie fits that third category! I always especially like movies that revolve around Chinese culture because I like being able to catch the references and judge the subtitle translation choices. So that's one reason I liked this movie! I don't have many any other thoughts about this movie other than I generally enjoyed it, the costumes were great, seeing Jung from Kim's Convenience be a kung fu master was awesome, and seeing a funny, average-looking woman in a blockbuster still pleases me even though Awkwafina has been in quite a few by now.

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) I got through this book real quick and have had a tough time articulating my thoughts in a review since. Many of my thoughts are similar to the movies, with many of my favorite scenes matching up, so I'll try to keep things a little shorter here by mentioning a few highlights from this reread. 1) The charge of the Rohirrim is somehow just as incredible and exhilarating in print as it is on screen. It's both my favorite movie scene and passage from a book. Theoden blasts his horn into pieces! They sing as they slay! C'mon!! 2) The conversation between Gandalf and Saruman is awesome here, unlike in the movie where it's a bit awkward. This would be one of the passages I point to in which Tolkien really impresses with his writing. 3) Eowyn is so, so cool in this book. Even cooler than in the movie, and her coolest line is even cooler in the book. I am in love with her. It makes me really happy that she finds Faramir who, let's be...

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) Look who came out of retirement! I heard this movie's name and Jackie Chan in the same sentence, so yes, I once again approached the trough to see what ol' Farmer Marvel put before me this time. I honestly wanted this movie to be bad so I could just make more jokes about slop and swine, etc. But the first half was really fun! The family stuff and whatever never clicked in any real way and I never cared about the characters at all. The writing was pretty weak, the plot was copy and pasted. There were a few genuine laughs, especially from Kingsley who's character I'm pretty sure was useless outside of comic relief. But there was kung fu! I'm always down for 2 hours of kung fu! Unfortunately there was only 1 hour of kung fu. The second half? Slop.

⭐ 7.5/10 (Originally written by hoodie_logi) My latest theological read, and this one was quite good though not life changing. In this book, Rich writes about five grounding, spiritual practices and realties to help us form deeper connections to Jesus and our communities. Topics ranged from living missional locally, to racial reconciliation and sexual wholeness. The strength of this book imo was Rich's at times brutal honesty. He spoke with authority on these topics because he struggled and walked through them himself, and he did not shy away from sharing his struggles in life. It was really refreshing to read a book so rooted in honest experience and reflection, as sometimes Christian literature can deal more in hypotheticals and theory than real, mess and gritty life experience.

⭐ 4.0/10 (Originally written by kaelwilton) Well Drake, it might be time to retire. Buddy really hasn’t released a good project in years. Everything on this album is just super toxic, mean spirited or just straight up misogynistic. Drake is still a creep, and I don’t know why Kid Cudi and Jay Z collaborated with this guy. Apart from maybe two or three songs, I’m probably never going to listen to this one again. Oh and the album cover is atrocious.

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by hoodie_logi) Gonna come out with a flaming hot take here I think, but this show was honestly unreal. This was Betty and I's latest binge and I was interested in what was happening from the opening scene up until the finally. While the scenarios are completely absurd and a bit repetitive at times throughout the eight seasons, what really drives it and made it watchable to me were the four main characters. Throughout the show, I came to care deeply for each one of the girls and wanted to see them overcome the trials they faced. Though they weren't perfect and messed up a lot too. The main core of husbands (there's quite a bit of turnover of male lovers at times as well) were also really well written. While the overarching scenarios were often absurd, they also dealt with a lot of real issues as well which helped ground the show a lot. Again, I surely am opening myself up for the firing squads with this review, but I will die on this hill that D...

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by kaelwilton) This album sure is something else man. I absolutely love it, it’s everything I wanted from a new Kanye album tbh. There are still some issues, but what Kanye album doesn’t? This album is better than JIK in every single way: better production, better lyrics, better verses, better everything. This album feels really inspired tbh. Kanye hasn’t rapped or sung like this in a LONG time. All of the features are great too (except maybe Playboi Carti, who I just don’t like at all haha). Again, this album does have some issues. All of the pt. 2’s are pretty unnecessary and should have been released as singles or something probably. Some of the outros are a bit too long and repetitive, and playboi Cartis verses aren’t my favourite. Despite this, I still love this album. It’s gonna be on repeat for a while!

⭐ 8.5/10 (Originally written by hoodie_logi) I think I ran through this book in two hours flat and I could not put it down. I've been meaning to get to this one for awhile, and finally found a copy at my library thankfully. I thought it was a beautiful, simple (that's not a bad thing) retelling of the hero's journey. I especially loved the spiritual aspect of this one, with questions of fulfilling one's purpose on earth, being connected to the creator and learning from other's along the journey of life. Each character that appeared helped the protagonist (just referred to as the boy) understand his journey and the world around him a new way which helped him grow and shape the world around him. I also found the writing extremely accessible. Each sentence was carefully chosen to further the plot and the reader didn't get bogged down with unnecessary details. Overall, worthy of being a modern classic and one of those books that helped shift my perspective on the wo...

⭐ 10.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) I actually watched this a week ago so #summeroftolkien did indeed finish during the summer. My first thought while watching this was actually one of worry because the first hour is pretty slow. I'm usually an extended edition truther, but I'm going with a hot take here: ROTK's theatrical version is the choice. Not only does the movie become absurdly long with the extended scenes, but the Saruman scene, the whole dragged out scene with Gimli and the ghosts, and the drinking game are all begging to be cut. I was actually beginning to think that I might have to rethink my idea of this being the best movie in the series. But then the war on Pelennor Fields begins and I remembered exactly why this is the greatest movie ever made. From Pippen's song onward, this is the greatest 2-3 hours of film in history. I would say this movie has like 5 of my all time favorite scenes, and each one brought back the same feelings they did 20 years ag...

⭐ 8.0/10 (Originally written by Tim) Not sure if this is some crazy hot take, because I looked of some movie rating lists and this is always near the bottom, but this is easily the best one yet! First one I have been able to watch in a single sitting, and I was completely engaged the whole time. A big part is what I mentioned last movie. The bad guy is back and looms large over the whole movie, but they don't over use him. That's where Umbridge comes in. She serves as a perfect villain for the movie, and she is so perfectly portrayed. The odds really feel against Harry in this one and it makes the arc of the movie so much more satisfying. I also think this is just a better written movie than any of the others. The scenes are longer, with less snappy dialogue and more thought out interactions. Probably helps that the actors are older and more mature and getting better, but as a movie it felt so much more complete than the others. Some great arcs with Sirius, Umbridge, the lesson...

⭐ 6.5/10 (Originally written by Tim) I don't want to spend more time hating on these (especially since I have more to say about the next movie in the series), but this is a 5 were it not for the amazing finale. My complaints about the other movies remain here - the main characters are not good actors, and I find the story to be kind of all over the place. But that finale! That's what I think of when I think of these movies, the scene in the graveyard. It is so scary, and every moment plays perfectly. Even just the way Cedric is dispatched of so nonchalantly, feels like the series takes a massive turn right in that moment to something more serious and dark. I complain about Dumbledore a lot, and he does seem to be a bit out of character in this movie. He seems so angry throughout, not the wise gentle soul I imagine him to be. And I complain that he over-explains stuff to end every movie, but the explaining to end here is completely botched! Harry goes, why did I see my parents w...

⭐ 6.5/10 (Originally written by Joseph) This is the animated Witcher movie that just came out. I like the universe so I thought I'd give it a try since it's about some characters I know a bit. It wasn't bad. None of the characters were particularly compelling, and the main character is pretty annoying for the first half. But the story has enough intrigue to get you through the short runtime and it has some nice moments especially towards the end. It's a rated R animated movie, similar to Invincible, and while I liked the animation in this one, the action and violence definitely got too edgy. It's not bad if you're into this universe. Otherwise not really recommended.

⭐ 9.0/10 (Originally written by Joseph) I feel a lot of what Becky felt for this first game. What an incredible thing they created here. I don't think I've ever experienced a brand new sci-fi IP that felt so complete. I have been playing the recent remastered version, and that probably helps because aside from a few quirks, this feels like a true modern game. The shooting/ combat, the writing, the plot, the settings and most importantly the world building are all terrific. I began this game basically doing more reading than playing the first five hours or so. I hate reading data entries in games, and despite this being optional I was pouring over these and couldn't get enough. I basically read any bit of information this game gave me. The world is so big and complex with fascinating, mysterious history and very realistic politics. It felt a lot like Game of Thrones in space. All of the gameplay mechanics felt polished in this remaster. There were lots of unique guns and bui...